Clothesline holder



Oct. 18, 1938.

F. L. M CONNELL -2,133,936

CLOTHESLINE HOLDER Filed July 27-, 1955 2, Sheets-Sheet 1 lNVENTOR.

- Oct. 18, 1938. F. L, MOCQNNELL 2,133,936

CLOTHESLINE HOLDER Filed July 27, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet e" Patented Oct. 18, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE CLOTHESLINE HOLDER,

Frank L. McConnell Springfield, Ill. Application July 27. 1935, Serial No. 33,518

3 Claims. (01. 24-133) My invention relates to rope hangers in general and supports for one end of a-rope extending from one place to another and relates particularly to clothesline hangers; an object being in my device to provide a support for clothesline ropes which will hold the clothesline securely with an easy means of taking up the slack therein and a clothesline holder that will be quickly detachable from its position of support, convenient to malo nipulate as well as economical to manufacture and sell at a reasonable price.

A particular purpose of my invention is to provide a rope holder and especially a clothesline holder which within the scope of my invention 15'' may be made in several forms to accomplish the same or different purposes and especially made in a form which will permit a rope supported thereby to be suspended in almost any direction and in some forms of my invention any direction 20 from my supporting device as the center of support for that end of the rope.

In the meantime, I propose to provide in such an invention a rope supporting device for its several adaptations which in its respective forms are as attractive in appearance; are economical to manufacture and sell; are convenient to handle and practical to use.

I attain the objects of my invention by the device described in the annexed specification, re-

cited in the claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals indicate like parts in the several figures.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. l is a perspective of one of the forms of '5 my invention wherein the semi-circular form of the supporting bracket makes it possible to support a rope or clothesline in any direction within a semi-circle from its point of support.

Fig. 2 is a perspective of that form of my in- 110 vention wherein the supporting bracket is shaped to define a rectangular channel while the rope holding channel plate detachably connected therewith is shaped to hold the rope supported thereby in only one direction and that is straight 45 out from the supporting bracket.

Fig. 3 is a perspective of one of those forms of my invention wherein the supporting bracket holding the rope supporting channel plate is shaped to define an upright channel with a trans- 50" verse slot through which a-pair of hook members of the channel plate extend for the support of the rope.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a semi-circular bracket such as is shown in Fig. 1 with a slot 55 therein intermediate the top and bottom edges thereof for the detachable support of a rope holding channel plate such as the one shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a front view of that form of device of my invention shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a perspective of that form of my in- 5 vention wherein the rope supporting channel plate is held within the walls of the upright rectangular supporting bracket in whichform the rope when held in place is supported within the walls of the supporting bracket and pressed 10 against the inner rear face thereof.

Fig. 7 is a perspective of that form of my invention wherein the curved supporting bracket is shaped to define a loop amounting to more than a half circle andfrom which a rope may be supported in any direction within the scope of this loop.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of that form of my invention as shown in Fig. '7 but which has an intermediate slot for the detachable support of the rope holding channel plate which is shown in Fig. 3 and Fig. 4.

Fig. 9 is a perspective of that form of my device wherein the supporting bracket is shaped to define an upright cylindrical support adapted to be secured to the top of a supporting post therefor and from which a rope may be held by a rope holding channel plate shown in the form indicated in Fig. 1 in any direction about the supporting bracket.

Fig. 10 is a perspective of the form of supporting bracket shown in Fig. 9 but supported on a side Wall.

Fig. 11 is a perspective similar to Fig. 9 with the one exception that in this figure the upright cy- 5 lindrical bracket is provided with an intermediate slot between its top and bottom edges for the support of that type of rope holding channel plate illustrated in Figures 4 and 8.

Figure 12 is a figure similar to Figure 10 but .40 showing my upright cylindrical supporting bracket provided with a bracket adapted to support the same on a side wall.

Referring in detail to the design and construction of the several forms of my invention and the advantages provided in each, I shall clearly and concisely set forth the merits of these forms, all of which fall within the scope of my invention.

For instance, attention is directed to that form of my invention, disclosed in Fig. 1 wherein a channel plate I is provided with a pair of hook members 2 to hook over the edge of the semicircular bracket 3 while at thebottom of this channel plate there is a pair of guard fingers 4 adapted to prevent undesired removal of plate I from bracket 3.

When a strain is exerted on rope hanging over the top 6 of plate I with a weight on this rope forcing the strain in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1 the tendency is for the bottom end I of plate I to squeeze this rope up against the outer surface of bracket 3 which results in holding the rope firmly and substantially; and in fact in this situation involving the first class leverage system the harder the strain on rope 5 the harder will be the squeeze or pressure against that part of the rope in channel I between the lower end 1 thereof and bracket 3.

It will be noted that the semi-circular shape of bracket 3 will permit channel plate I to be hooked over bracket 3 any place on the semicircle so that rope 5 may swing radially in any direction within the semi-circle; thus providing a convenience that is always desirable especially in a clothesline .adaptation of my invention. Bracket 3 is shown in Fig. 1 to be secured by bolts or screws 8 to a side wall 9.

In another modification of my invention I have shown in Fig. 2 that form thereof in which channel plate I hooks over the front surface III of supporting bracket I! with hook members 2 and guard fingers 4 serving the same purpose as is shown in Fig. 1.

In Fig. 4 I have shown a semi-circular bracket I2 corresponding in shape with bracket 3 and as a modification of bracket 3, I have provided in bracket l2 an intermediate slot I3 for the detachable support of a channel plate I4 having a pair of upturned hook members I5 engaging the upper portion I6 of bracket I2 after they are inserted in the slot I3.

For this instance, rope 5 extending through channel plate I4 with the strain or weight pull- 40; ing outwardly on the top of plate I4 will cause an inward pressure of the bottom end H of plate I4 against this rope squeezing it against the outer surface of the lower portion I8 of bracket I2.

I show a front view of this modification of my invention in Fig. 5 while in Fig. 3 I disclose in perspective that form of my invention wherein the upright rectangular bracket I9 is engaged through a front slot 20 by a channel plate I4 with hook members I5 of the channel plate holding the same in the same manner as is shown in Fig. 4.

I also show in Fig. 6 an upright channeled supporting bracket 2I having front support members 22 for the detachable engagement of the rope supporting channel plate 23 in which arrangement a rope or a clothesline supported thereby will exert an outward strain against the topend 24 of plate 23 with a resulting inward pressure between the bottom end 25 of plate 23 and the bottom end of bracket 2| on the rope held thereby.

It will be noted that in Fig. '7 I provide a bracket 26 shaped to define a support that is greater than a half circle and as will be observed in this figure the rope holding channel plates I are attached in the manner shown in Fig. l with the additional advantage in this case providing a chance to mount these rope holding plates anywhere about bracket 26 so that the rope may extend therefrom in any direction within the limits of the curved portion of bracket 26. Thus this bracket may be supported upon the side of a post or wall by a screw or bolt secured thereto through holes 21 holding exten- ;sion arms 28 for its support.

It will be also noted that in Fig. 8 there is provided a slotted modification of the bracket shown in Fig. '7 similar to the modification of that bracket illustrated in Fig. 1 where it is shown modified in Fig. 4 wherein the slot I3 with channel plate I4 holding the rope is disposed.

I have chosen in this application to further disclose two other modifications of my invention and in this connection attention is directed, first to Fig. 9 where bracket 29 is made in the form of an upright cylindrical member adapted to be supported upon a post 30 so that the rope supporting channel bracket I may be detachably hooked upon bracket 29 as shown in this figure so that rope 5 may extend in any direction from its point of support. In Fig. I have illustrated a supporting bracket 3| similar to bracket 29 in all respects except its manner of support; and in this case -I support this bracket on the side of a post or wall by a side bracket 32.

In Fig. 11 I am illustrating a modification of bracket 29 wherein a slot 33 is used for the detachable support of channel plate I4 engaging the same in the manner illustrated for the support of rope 5 while in Fig. 12 bracket 34 has a slot 35 operating in a similar manner. In this modification however of my invention bracket 34 is provided with a side bracket 36 adapted to support the same on the side of a post or wall.

Having thus described the nature of my invention what I claim is:

1. A rope hanger comprising in cooperative combination, a bracket shaped to define a support, and a channel plate hooked over the bracket for the support of a rope and also shaped to define a pair of spaced downwardly extending integral hanger hooks disposed intermediate the top and bottom of the channel plate, the sides of said plate deformed to define a central channel for the support of said rope; said sides also shaped to define a pair of bottom guard fingers respectively registering snugly under said hanger hooks and in spaced relation thereto respectively in the same plane therewith and respectively disposed at right angles to the position of the hangers to provide stop means preventing unwarranted removal of said channel plate from said bracket by any vertical lift of the channel plate; said rope adapted to be supported within said channel of the channel plate.

2. A rope hanger comprising in cooperative combination a metallic supporting bracket shaped to define an approximate half circular horizontal arc, adapted to be disposed in a horizontal position, a channel plate having a pair of integral downwardly disposed hooks detachably supported over the periphery of said supporting bracket, said plate shaped to define a pair of parallel generally upright side plates forming a generally upright, curved channel and a rope operatively supported therein; and said side plates also res-pectively shaped to define each a pair of integral base guard fingers in the same plane with said downwardly disposed hooks, spaced therefrom and disposed at right angles to the position of said hooks and registering beneath said supporting bracket and adapted to guard against unwarranted removal of the channel plate from said supporting bracket by a vertical lift of said plate.

3. A rope line hanger comprising in cooperative combination, a horizontally disposed curved supportirg bracket, a detachable channel plate shaped to define a pair of integral, parallel, generally upright side plates with a' rope supporting channel between them and shaped to further define a pair of integral, intermediate, downwardly extending hanger hooks adapted to hang over the top periphery of said supporting bracket; and said side plates each respectively shaped at their bottom ends to define in the same plane with said hanger hooks, a pair of guard fingers in the same plane with said downwardly disposed hooks,

spaced therefrom and disposed at right angles to the position of said hooks and registering beneath said supporting bracket and adapted to guard against unwarranted removal of the channel plate from said supporting bracket by a. vertical lift of said plate.

FRANK L. MCCONNELL. 

